What Once Was…

November 16, 2016

Once there was a girl that absolutely loved cold weather. She loved everything about it. The clothes, hot cocoa, sitting next to the fire with a good book, and of course the holidays. Have you seen those amazing videos on social media of a small cottage or desolate road in the middle of nowhere? There is beautiful white snow steadily falling to the ground. The landscape is absolutely breathtaking. These places seem so peaceful and I can only dream of
being in a place like this.

Well, that girl that I’m referring to is was me. Even though now, after a hot Louisiana summer, I sometimes still feel the longing for cold weather creeping in. But unfortunately, this longing I feel for the cold weather gets completely shut down by… sick kids!!!

Ugh… guys I don’t know about you but we haven’t had much luck in the winter time. Ever since Dustin and I invited my entire family over for New Year’s Eve to when Elise was 6 months old. I was so excited that we would all be able to hang out and that they would be able to visit with Elise, for the first time. That day Elise started to run a fever. Thankfully, we were able to bring her to the doctor before they closed for the day. Lo and behold she had RSV!

Thankfully she didn’t have it bad enough that she would need to be hospitalized. I don’t know if anyone other parents out there have had a run in with RSV but it sucks. Plain and simple. Dustin and I rang in the New Year that night giving a screaming baby breathing treatments.

The winter before Luke’s first birthday was awful too. Poor thing had gotten so many ear aches that he had to get tubes the following January. I’m pretty sure we could have just camped out at the doctor’s office because we were there so many times. Doctor visits, specialists, they were all a blur.

Ever since then, I brace myself for the winter. Not only for the cold but for runny noses, fevers, earaches, co-pays to the doctor, antibiotics, etc. In the winter you can see me sporting some Kleenex stuffed in my car, purse, diaper bag, jean pocket, pajamas pocket. Heck, it even falls out of the dryer.

So here we are 4 years and 4 kids later. I prepare as much as possible. The doctor recommended that we give the kids allergy medicine in the morning and night. I also spray saline solution in all the boys’ noses. Imagine me doing this every morning and night to 4 kids. It’s pretty crazy and exhausting, but I try to take as much preventative action as I can.

This year we have started out on a not so great foot. I took Luke to the doctor this past Sunday and Elise this evening. I hope this is farthest it goes in the Dauzat household this year.

One day I hope to be that person that enjoys the winter once more, but until then I will prepare for battle with Kleenex and saline in hand.

What you? Do you dread the cold weather or does your family come out of the winter unharmed?

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Gretchen Dauzat is a wife, mom to 4, entrepreneur, and writer. Her passion is to empower moms to realize, cultivate, and pursue their passions beyond motherhood. When not folding loads of laundry, you can find her having a dance party with her family or listening to a great audiobook.